


Judged into action

by Nary



Category: Diablotin
Genre: Awkwardness, Death, Friendship, Gen, Guilt, Memories, Older Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-11
Updated: 2011-08-11
Packaged: 2017-10-22 12:12:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/237884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Velten du Champe - Reverend Father Velten, that is - was fairly far down the list of people Butler expected to see standing at his door on the day after his resignation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Judged into action

Velten du Champe - Reverend Father Velten, that is - was fairly far down the list of people Butler expected to see standing at his door on the day after his resignation. Reporters, yes. He'd already sent several of them away with a curt refusal for an interview. Junior Spokesmen too, wanting to know who he supported for the new Lord Marshal, as if his word still mattered. But Velten was unexpected, and perhaps that was why he opened the door.

"What do you want?" he said gruffly.

Velten just looked up at him, calm as ever. He'd grown a little pot-bellied over the years - too much sitting and praying, no doubt - and his once bright-red curls were threaded with white and thinning on top. "So nice to see you too. What's it been since we really talked, five years? Six?"

Butler sighed. "It's been a long day, Velten. A long, difficult day. So could you please jump straight to the point?"

"Emoune is dying."

Butler hesitated only a moment, then stepped aside to let the smaller man in. "What happened to her?" Strange how his thoughts still went first to a battle wound, an enemy. That hadn't been Emoune's life - or his, really - for years now, but it would have given him something to blame.

"Nothing happened. She's sick, that's all. They've done everything they can for her, but she's near the end."

"How close?"

"Probably a few more days, a week, but she always did love to surprise people." Butler could hear the pain in his voice, even though he tried to keep it carefully under control, just like always. He wondered suddenly if there had been more than friendship between Emoune and Velten once, back at the dawn of time. It had never occurred to him that there could have been, and yet, why not? They had been young, after all, and they had been the only two in their little group not partnered off... The thought made him strangely uncomfortable, reminding him of other things he hadn't suspected, but he pushed all of that away for now, bringing his attention back to what Velten was saying, which turned out to be, "I'm going to visit her, and I thought I'd see whether the rest of you wanted to come with me. Halden and Ysana are already packing."

There was an uncomfortable pause. Butler could tell from Velten's expression that they both knew what he was thinking. "And Theonée?" He immediately wished he hadn't asked - Velten's glare was the one that let you know he had judged you and found you wanting.

"She'll be there too, of course." The _so don't behave like a child_ was strongly implied. "This is Emoune we're talking about," Velten continued. "You know she'd be there if it was any of us."

That was true, Butler couldn't deny it. Emoune had always been the one who'd held their little group together. Ysana and Halden had always had one another, and once, for a little while, he'd had Theonée, but Emoune was the glue that had kept them all together for as long as she was able. She'd a gift for melting anger and dissolving tensions with a joke or a change of subject, a vital talent when travelling in close quarters. Butler was sure she'd stopped him and Halden from killing one another on at least one memorable occasion. Still, he hesitated. "I don't know, Vel... Theonée and I, we've had words..." Recent words, even, not the ones from near on thirty years ago.

Velten snorted derisively. "You know what? This isn't about you. It's not about Theonée either. It's about Em, who never did a thing to harm you. Who had our backs in every fight. Who was... no, who _is_ our friend. And I'm going to sit beside her and try and make her smile one last time. Or laugh, if I can. And she will notice if you're the only one who isn't there to say goodbye."

He was right. It was going to be hell, but he was right. "I'll get my things," Butler said, sighing heavily. "Void, Vel, when did you get so good at guilting people?"

"It comes with the robes," the little priest said with a smile. "I'll wait outside."


End file.
